Good superhero/supervillain origins

[Klapaucius]

Yes, most superhero origins are bad science of Star Trek magnitude. Peter Parker's radioactive spider-bite mutagenic infection genetically-enhanced spider gene something totemic magic birthday present, for example, or Superman's low-gravity power boost superior kryptonian genes solar-panel skin cells totemic magic birthday present. But other superheroes are actually pretty convincing; if not because they were based on real science, at least because they don't detract form the character once you know them. Such as:

-Batman. Yes, he doesn't have any superpowers in the first place, but that's the best thing going for him.

-Captain Marvel (the DC one, not the Marvel one)- A wizard did it. Enough said.

-And this one's a video game example, but I love too much to forget it: The Fury from Metal Gear Solid 3.
He was an experimental Russian cosmonaut during the 60's, before any cosmic ray shielding had been invented. The cosmic rays caused brain/eye damage which resulted in hallucinations of bright lights, like explosions. (This is actually realistic--John Glenn has told anecdotes about the same thing happening to him.) The thing is, he saw them as he was falling from orbit, superimposed onto his view of the Earth. This led him to believe that he was seeing a prophetic vision of himself covering the entire world in flames. Now he is a raving pyromaniac who walks around in a fireproof space suit, hovering around in a jetpack and firing his flamethrower at anything that moves. So he pretty much wins that game.

Can anyone else think of some good origins?

[Jack Saladin]

... I thought The Fury kinda sucked (along with the rest of the Cobra unit), but if Metal Gears villains count as supervillains (which I guess they do), then hells yeah there are some awesome stories there. Pretty much anyone from FOXHOUND, for one thing. I'll type some origins out later today when I get back from work.

[Klapaucius]

... I thought The Fury kinda sucked (along with the rest of the Cobra unit), but if Metal Gears villains count as supervillains (which I guess they do), then hells yeah there are some awesome stories there. Pretty much anyone from FOXHOUND, for one thing. I'll type some origins out later today when I get back from work.

I really liked the Cobra unit. C'mon, this is a team comprised of:

-A man who trains bees
-Um, the Fear, who does actually suck
-The End, who's great in so many little ways
-A jetpack pyro cosmonaut
-The karma ghost (who is actually

Spoiler:

revolver ocelot's dad

-and the Joy, who is undeniably badass

They might not measure up to FOXHOUND but they're still great.

[Jack Saladin]

The Pain is the most stupid idea for a villain ever. Also his fight sucked.

And I mostly didn't like them because they simply weren't characters. They were just boss fights. In 1 and 2, FOXHOUND and Dead Cell actually did things throughout the story, and had their own motivations.

Of course, the Beauty and the Beast unit of MGS4 makes the Cobras look like well developed, deep characters...

[Mighty Jalapeno]

Preacher Jesse Custer - Preacher tells the story of Jesse Custer, a down-and-out preacher in the small Texas town of Annville. Custer was accidentally possessed by the supernatural creature named Genesis in an incident which killed his entire congregation and flattened his church. Genesis, the product of the unauthorized, unnatural coupling of an angel and a demon, is an infant with no sense of individual will. However, as it is composed of both pure goodness and pure evil, it might have enough power to rival that of God himself. In other words, Jesse Custer, bonded to Genesis, may have become the most powerful being in the whole of living existence. Custer, driven by a strong sense of right and wrong, goes on a journey across the United States attempting to (literally) find God, who abandoned Heaven the moment Genesis was born. He also begins to discover the truth about his new powers, which allow him to command the obedience of those who hear his words. He is joined by his old girlfriend Tulip O'Hare, as well as a hard-drinking Irish vampire named Cassidy.

Hell yeah.

[Klapaucius]

The Pain is the most stupid idea for a villain ever. Also his fight sucked.

And I mostly didn't like them because they simply weren't characters. They were just boss fights. In 1 and 2, FOXHOUND and Dead Cell actually did things throughout the story, and had their own motivations.

Of course, the Beauty and the Beast unit of MGS4 makes the Cobras look like well developed, deep characters...

How is he the worst idea for a villain ever? He keeps fightin' bees in his gullet!
Yes, the battle sucked--but it was the location and not the character that was to blame for that. "Gatling gun!"
You have a point about the complexity of the characters. But I would still say that if Vamp, and Vulcan Raven can be considered well-rounded characters, then The Joy, The Fury, and The Sorrow (sort of, if they hadn't kept it down to implications) are worthy of being a part of the Metal Gear franchise as well.

[Jack Saladin]

Oh yeah, The Boss (she's called The Boss, dude) is the greatest character in the franchise.

[Klapaucius]

Oh yeah, The Boss (she's called The Boss, dude) is the greatest character in the franchise.

She's also called The Joy, to fit in with the "bringing emotions into battle" motif. Major Zero explains that--and assumes it's because of "the joy she feels during battle". Also, she was The Sorrow's partner. Sorrow and Joy, get it?
The Metal Gear wiki tends to call her that, to better distinguish her from Big Boss.

And, yes, she's at least in the top 5.

[lethesoda]

Almost every Scarecrow incarnation/back story has had a good origin.

[Jack Saladin]

Oh yeah, The Boss (she's called The Boss, dude) is the greatest character in the franchise.

She's also called The Joy, to fit in with the "bringing emotions into battle" motif. Major Zero explains that--and assumes it's because of "the joy she feels during battle". Also, she was The Sorrow's partner. Sorrow and Joy, get it?
The Metal Gear wiki tends to call her that, to better distinguish her from Big Boss.

And, yes, she's at least in the top 5.

Yeah, I know, I have played all four of the MGS games at least a dozen times each (and MG 1, 2, and MGSPO twice), but 99.999% of the time she's named, she's called The Boss. In MGS4, she's exclusively called The Boss (and she plays a major role and is mentioned a lot). Her name is The Boss. And distinguishing her name from Big Boss seems pointless, since the entire point is he inherited her codename...

We appeared to have hijacked your topic... Wait, you hijacked your own topic. In the first post. That's just weird.

[telkanuru]

Does Spider Jerusalem have superpowers? If being awesome is a superpower, he definitely does.

I actually really liked the beginning (ie. the parts Niel Gaiman actually wrote) of the Books of Magic.

[Klapaucius]

Oh yeah, The Boss (she's called The Boss, dude) is the greatest character in the franchise.

She's also called The Joy, to fit in with the "bringing emotions into battle" motif. Major Zero explains that--and assumes it's because of "the joy she feels during battle". Also, she was The Sorrow's partner. Sorrow and Joy, get it?
The Metal Gear wiki tends to call her that, to better distinguish her from Big Boss.

And, yes, she's at least in the top 5.

Yeah, I know, I have played all four of the MGS games at least a dozen times each (and MG 1, 2, and MGSPO twice), but 99.999% of the time she's named, she's called The Boss. In MGS4, she's exclusively called The Boss (and she plays a major role and is mentioned a lot). Her name is The Boss. And distinguishing her name from Big Boss seems pointless, since the entire point is he inherited her codename...

We appeared to have hijacked your topic... Wait, you hijacked your own topic. In the first post. That's just weird.

I just mentioned the guy; I didn't expect it to turn into a Metal Gear discussion. But now that this thread has kicked into You're Wrong gear I rather have to respond.

I know that's the name everyone uses, but that still doesn't make me wrong for using it. I can call Big Boss Naked Snake if I want to, even if he didn't use that codename after Operation Snake Eater. And it's implied that she was called The Joy first--so there's nothing wrong with it. But if she comes up again I'll call her The Boss, to avoid any confusion or offense.

And you still haven't explained why you hate The Pain.

Does Spider Jerusalem have superpowers? If being awesome is a superpower, he definitely does.

Batman has established that it is.

Also, I should nominate The Endless: They've always been around. End of story.

[SecondTalon]

Also, I should nominate The Endless: They've always been around. End of story.

Well... from a certain point of view, at least, that's true.

From another point of view, one has changed, two have died and been replaced.

[Klapaucius]

Also, I should nominate The Endless: They've always been around. End of story.

Well... from a certain point of view, at least, that's true.

From another point of view, one has changed, two have died and been replaced.

Well, yes. But the dead ones, and their replacements, stress the point of "facets in a crystal"; though the way they look and act change, they are still embodiments of the same force. As for the changed one, I don't know what exactly to make of that.

[telkanuru]

It's also very explicitly stated that everything had a Beginning (since the Endless are referred to as "older" or "younger"), although then we get into an argument about time existing before the universe and whatnot.

[Ender]

I kinda always liked the ex-machina background to how mitchell hundred got his powers. Just alien explosion from the brooklyn bridge. I don't know, maybe it's the fact that it happens to a engineer is why I like the origin

[Plasma Man]

A transdimensional alien probe that causes an explosion that magically implants circuitry into some random guy which then magically enables him to control machinery. It's a great comic, but the way he gets his powers is complete rubbish. If we're going for engineers, I'd go for the Engineer from the Authority. At least programmable nanomachines that can interface with the human body are vaguely potentially possible.

[thicknavyrain]

Tom Strong had a really corny superhero (title used cautiously) origin story, but to the extent you felt it was being done on purpose and was therefore quite enjoyable in an ironic kind of way. 1900s scientist wants to raise his son in a high pressure environment on a secluded island and give him a thorough educational programme to make him superstrong/smart. His parents die just as his time in the high pressure chamber is coming to an end and he is raised by locals on a special crop called "Goloka root" which makes him grow EVEN stronger. Long story short: He's tough and clever.

It's pretty darn cheesy, but I liked it.

Regarding the Endless: I'm sure they haven't ALL been around forever, but their origins are really cool, just being there as anthropomorphic aspects of consciousness and their existence being ESSENTIAL to the operation of these aspects in everyone's lives. Actually, Destruction left his post and things were pretty ok so I'm not sure how it works, but still, possibly the coolest origins.

[Maseiken]

Dr. Manhattan, duh.

[not good at these things]

A transdimensional alien probe that causes an explosion that magically implants circuitry into some random guy which then magically enables him to control machinery. It's a great comic, but the way he gets his powers is complete rubbish. If we're going for engineers, I'd go for the Engineer from the Authority. At least programmable nanomachines that can interface with the human body are vaguely potentially possible.

Yeah, the Engineer is amazingly cool in power but there is never much actual description of her personality, she acts like every other comic book girl but I like that she choose her powers rather than the cliche accident-that-would-normally-kill-someone-gives-them-superpowers-instead. Ex Machina is really great though.


My favorite origin story is Cassandra Cain/Batgirl. Just a girl being raised and made to be a batman that kills, so much so that it's her main function and since talking is unnecessary in killing she lacks communication skills. Her mother is lady shiva, and she fought her mother and beat supergirl so she's basically awesome, her entire purpose is to be trained my batman now.

[pineapplepie]

Spoiler. Awesome origin story. I also like Hawkman/Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman/whatever, just because they're such a tangle of retcons that nobody can figure their stories out. Also, Invincible, by Robert Kirkman, has Invincible, who has a really well-thought-out origin story.

[El Spark]

My favorite origin story is Cassandra Cain/Batgirl. Just a girl being raised and made to be a batman that kills, so much so that it's her main function and since talking is unnecessary in killing she lacks communication skills. Her mother is lady shiva, and she fought her mother and beat supergirl so she's basically awesome, her entire purpose is to be trained my batman now.

It's even better than that. Her father raised her according to an experimental system that actually REPLACED her ability to communicate with the ability to kill. Up until pretty recently (No-Man's Land or so), Cassie Cain was unable to speak because killing was HOW she spoke. I remember reading about her remembering her first kill when she was a little girl (eight or so? Been a while). Her father told her to go say hello to the target, and she flat murdered him. To her, it was the same thing.

If Cassie ever seems to have trouble finding the right word in a conversation, it's probably because she's trying to figure out how to say something without tearing out your aorta.

More on target: Hellboy. I mean, come on. He's a demon! He got summoned from hell! By Nazis! It's just as straightforward as Superman, really.